Steam-generator.



I. CLIFF & A. E. ARBUCKLEI STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I5, I917.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

THOMAS CLIFF, OF DETROIT, AND ALMER E. ARBUCKLE, 0F HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN; SAID CLIFF ASSIGNOR TO SAID ARBUCKLE.

STEAM-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Tnorms CLIFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at De troit, in the county of lVayne and State of lllichigan; and ALMER E. AunUCKLE, a citizen ot' the Dominion of Canada, residing at Highland Park in the county of \Vayne and State of Michi an, have invented a new and useful Steam-benerator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam generators of the instantaneous or flash generating type, and it consists in the novel features of construction and operation as hereinafter set forth and claimed. e

The principal object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient means for rap idly generating and storing steam for use as a motive medium, in which the construction and operation is such as to enable the introduct i on ot' the heat and expansive energy of exploded char es of (fOlTlPlOSSGd' gases directly into a coniined body of water at the instant of ignition so as to utilize the force of the impact resulting from the explosion to difluse and atomize the water simultaneously with the discharge of the hot gases of combustion therethrough, and thus subjecting the liquid atoms to intense heat and pressure in a manner to cause them to rapidly vaporize and flash .into steam.

The invention further provides for means controlled by the generator to supply water thereto and to automatically maintain the water supply at a predeterniined volume and level.

In the accompanyii'ig drawings is illustrated a vertical sectional view of the preferred structural arrangement of the essential features of our invention, in which i. represents a compression and combustion cylinder, having an inlet port 2 for the admission of an explosive mixture which lint Y he supplied by a liquid fuel ceroureter b, or From other suitable source. 'lihe cylinder is m'ow'ided wi h "ton ope ably coupled 1: crank shaft (3 by any suitis securely mounted by bolts 9 the open end of a steam and water chamber 10, which communicates with and incloses the open end of said cylinder. Mounted in a tapered seat 11, formed in the end of the cylinder opening into the chamber 10, is a tapered disk valve 12 having a conical upper face from which a stem 13 extends axially through an open guide 14- abridging said chamber, and embracing said stem and interposed between the valve and said guide is an expansive coiled spring 15 which normally retains said valve seated to close communication between said cylinder and said chamber.

Extending through the Wall of the chamber 10, at a point slightly above the valve 12, is a water inlet passage 16, which communicates through a pipe 17 with a watersupply tank 18 and communicatin with the dome or steam space of the chanfioer 10 and with the upper end of the tank 18 is a pipe 19 for the admission of steam to equalize the pressure upon the water in said tank with the pressure in said chamber. Water is forced under pressure into the supply tank by means of a pump 20 having the piston 21 therein driven by an eccentric connection 22 with the shaft 6, and water is delivered to the pump through a pipe 23 leading to a source of supply andhaving a check valve therein between which and said pump a branch pipe 25' connects with an inlet opening 26 in the lower end of said tank. This opening is normally closed by a float controlled valve 27, the float 28 for which is provided at its upper end with a stem 29 sup ported to move axially through a guide 30 abridging said tank, and the lower end of the float-is provided with asleeve 31 movably extended. through a support 32 abridg ing the lower end of the tank, by means oi' which said float is guided to operate vertically with the variations in the Water level and in axial alinement with the inlet opening :26 of said tank. The valve .2? controlling said opening is provided with a stem 33 fitting tire ly within the sleeve 31 at ,its end, and in which. it is movahly held "1 axial d' -;placement by means of a pin sci-ted transv rsciy th hi-ough h i slot as follows: The pump being constantly driven together with the piston of the coinbustion cylinder through the application of driving power to the crank shaft thereof, water will be drawn in through the check valve 24 and forced out by the pump through the lines 23 and 25'into the tank 18 through the opening 26. The valve 27 therein will be caused to recede from its seat against the tension of the spring 36 and weight of the that under the pressure of the intlowing water, and upon the succeeding suction stroke of the pump said valve will re-seat to check the outflow of water from the tank until the water level therein has reached a sutficient height to raise the float and cause the pin 34: to engage the end of the slot of the valve stem and lift the valve from its seat, when the action of the pum) will be neutralized by a return How of the water from the tank thereto.

The water is thus maintained in the tank at a suitable level to insure the delivery through the pipe 17 and inlet 16 to the steam generating chamber 10 of a suflicient volume to immerse or cover the valve 12 of the combustion cylinder. The explosive charges of gaseous mixture are drawn into the cylinder 1 through the inlet port 2 from the carbureter 3 on the suction stroke of the piston 4, and upon the completion of the return stroke of said piston the charge is :om pressed and simultaneously fired by the igniter 'Z. The force of the explosion exerted upon the valve will open and impel it with violent impact against and through the body of water in the chamber 10, causing the agitation and diffusion of the water and subjecting it it an atomized condition directly to the intense heat and pressure of the inrushing burninggases exhausting from the combustion cylinder, whereby the water will be instantly flashed into steam at a high temperature with each explosive stroke of the piston. The steam thus generated will be retained and accumulated within the chamber 10 by the closing of the valve partly under the tension of the spring 15 and principally by the steam pressure developed in said chamber, and this pres.- sure may be relieved and controlled by any suitable known means for such purpose. A discharge pipe as shown at 37 communicating with the dome of the steain clia1nber may be provided for the delivery of the steam for use in any desired manner.

It will be seen from the above described manner of introducing the burnt gases into the Water, that the water will be subjected to the disintegrating force. of the explosion and alsoto direct contact with the intense heat and pressure resulting therefrom at the point of highest temperature to most effectively cause the instantaneous genera tion of steam.

We claim:

In a steam generator, the combination of a. power driven engine having a con'ipression and coinbustion cylinder for exploding gaseous charges. a casing inclosing one end of said cylinder and forming a chamber conimunicating with the combustion space there- 01.a spring pressed valve in said chamber normally closing communication with the combustion space of said cylinder and subject to open by the force of an explosion therein, pumping means controlled by the engine for introducing water into said chamber upon said valve, and means controlled by the pumping means to automatically regulate the delivery of water to said chamber.

In testimony whereof. we sign this specitic-ation.

THUMAS (ll'ilFF. Allilillilt l). ARBUCKLE.

till

fill) 

